Christmas Craft: Bead And Tube Cleaner Decorations

By Author: Victor Torrealba
Total Articles: 18
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Christmas Decorations created from ordinary tube cleaners and inexpensive acrylic beads are very attractive and not difficult to make. They look quite impressive yet are not difficult enough for small children to make. This is one Christmas craft idea to use again and again. Older people will enjoy making this Christmas craft, too, which can be varied to make a number of varied sparkling Decorations for your Christmas tree.

To make the bead and tube cleaner Decorations, you need common tube cleaners in desired colors and acrylic beads. Two types of beads are especially effective when join together on tube cleaners. 1 type are called sunburst beads, but are also recognized as snowflake, paddlewheel or starburst beads. These beads have six faceted paddles separated equally around a center that contains the hole for stringing. When various of these sunburst beads are join together successively, they fit against each other in an interlacing design.

The other type of bead that is also effective for this Christmas craft is called the 3 bead or propeller bead. It has three courved bumps arranged around the stringing ...
... hole. Like the sunburst beads, the 3 beads interlock when join together successively. For the most sparkly and attractive Christmas Decorations, get 3 beads and/or sunburst beads in translucent colors of green, red, and clear. The 3 beads can also be found in metallic silver and gold which can be used in this Christmas craft as well.

Tube cleaners can be found in silver and gold tinsel as well as chenille of all colors. For the Christmas craft, the best colors to use are the metallics and Christmas colors. The beads cover the tube cleaners, but the ends will need to be twisted together and created into hangers, so they show.

Anyone, even small children, can string these beads on tube cleaners. Bend up the end of the tube cleaner so the beads dont fall off. The tube cleaner works like a needle, making a needle unnecessary. For best results, show the children how to alternate colors when stringing, or start a design of three colors. When the beads are join together on the tube cleaners, they can be bent into varied Christmas shapes. For instance, string clear and red beads alternately, then bend down one end of the tube cleaner for a candy cane shape. Or alternate green and red beads and form a circle for a wreath. Use red tube cleaner to form a small bow to decorate the wreath. Form a hanger for the Christmas craft or simply slip the circle over a branch of the tree.

If you experiment with clear beads and silver tube cleaners, you can make several beautiful snowflake or star Decorations. Snowflake designs can be twisted of silver tube cleaner only, without the beads for a simple but attractive decoration.

Bead and tube cleaner Decorations are a Christmas craft you will find yourself using every year. Children and their parents will both appreciate this simple yet attractive Christmas craft.
Victor Torrealba is the owner of origami-kids.com, a great place for learn how to fold paper airplanes , Victor also has a amusing free games web site : zonaminada.net